Young innovator Rishit Mathur from Noida receives prestigious INSPIRE Awards – MANAK

Rishit Mathur, an exceptional student from class 8 A at Apeejay School Noida, has earned well-deserved recognition for his remarkable project focused on tackling crop residue pollution and empowering farmers. Rishit’s outstanding work has earned him the prestigious INSPIRE Awards – MANAK for the year 2022-23, which includes a grant of INR 10,000. It is worth noting that Rishit has achieved this notable award for the second time, showcasing his remarkable talent and dedication.

The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge) is an esteemed initiative organised by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF). This initiative is for the students between the ages of 10-15 years studying in classes 6-10 and it seeks to nurture creativity and foster innovative thinking among young minds.

In an interview, Rishit shares, “By converting crop residue into usable energy, we can reduce environmental pollution and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices.” Read more edited excerpts of the interview: 

Congratulations on winning the Inspire award for the second time, Rishit! Can you tell us more about your innovative solution to manage crop residue and generate electricity?

Thank you! As a school student, I always heard about the issue of pollution caused by the burning of crop residue. I wondered about a possible solution, and that’s when I decided to work on it. I decided to generate electricity and make furniture and organic manure from crop residue.

What inspired you to work on this particular problem? 

The place where I stay has an electronic board nearby depicting the quality of the air index, and it usually showed poor to very poor air quality. This motivated me to come up with a solution to this problem.

Could you walk us through the process of developing your solution? What were some key steps and considerations involved in its design and implementation?

Making furniture and organic manure were relatively simple as it required only a few chemical additions. However, for the generation of electricity, a small plant along with technological innovation was required. I researched and studied gasification and anaerobic technology to transform crop residue into sustainable, non-polluting energy.

How does your solution address the environmental and agricultural challenges associated with crop residue? What are some of the benefits it offers to farmers and the wider community?

This unique solution not only encourages farmers to refrain from burning crop residue, but also helps them earn revenue, thereby improving their economic status. By converting crop residue into usable energy, we can mitigate environmental pollution and contribute to sustainable agriculture practices.

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In terms of the electricity generation aspect, can you provide some insights into the technology or mechanism you employed to convert crop residue into usable energy?

I utilised gasification or anaerobic technology to convert crop residue into sustainable energy. This involves a controlled thermal decomposition process, resulting in the production of combustible gases that can be used to generate electricity.

Winning the Inspire award twice is a remarkable achievement. How did participating in the INSPIRE scheme and receiving recognition from the Department of Science & Technology impact your journey as a young innovator and researcher?

I want to thank Apeejay School for giving me the opportunity to participate in this competition. Receiving recognition from the Department of Science & Technology has had a profound impact on my journey as a young innovator and researcher. It has motivated me to further contribute to environmental causes and find innovative solutions to societal challenges.

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Looking ahead, what are your plans for further developing and implementing your solution? Do you see potential for scalability and widespread adoption of your technology in agricultural communities?

This project has immense potential, and I have already started implementing it in a village near my city. My goal is to make it a pan India phenomenon. I believe that by scaling up the solution and promoting its adoption in agricultural communities, we can make a significant impact in reducing pollution, improving farmers’ livelihoods, and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.